Chapter Four #2
She shakes her head, her eyes wide but glittering with possibility. “You’re out of your mind. Besides, I’ll flash half the beach in this dress.”
My gaze flicks down before I can stop it, heat sparking in my chest, and a slow grin slides into place. “Then I’ll stand in front of you and make sure no one else gets the view.”
Her breath hitches, and for a second our gazes hold, and the noise of the crowd fades. Then she laughs, shaking it off, but not enough to hide the lingering appreciation in her eyes.
“How about if we do it together?” I suggest.
“What do you mean?” She glances at a young girl shimmying under the limbo bar. “Everyone goes alone.”
“Not us.” I lace my fingers with hers, giving her hand a squeeze. “What do you say? I never lose.”
“If you do it with me, you’ll definitely lose.”
“Sorry, El, but your math is not mathing. If I’m with you, I’m already the winner.”
Stifling a grin, she arches a brow. “Is that your best line? Because I’d give it a seven out of ten. It could use some work.”
“I wasn’t aiming for a score. Just the truth.” I let that sink in, soaking in her sweet, surprised smile as I drag her into the limbo line.
As we wait our turn, she studies every person who goes before us.
Her eyes glitter with the same adventurous spark I saw in my brothers when we were kids trying to outdo each other, and I wonder how often she steps out of her comfort zone.
Which leads me to wonder other things about that comfort zone.
“Your turn!” someone shouts.
Eleanor hesitates, and the crowd claps and cheers, egging us on.
“What do you say, Ellie? Are we walking away or taking the crown?”
She groans, but her smile gives away her excitement. “This is insane. We’re going to fall on our asses.”
“I’d never let you fall.” I offer my hand. “Trust me?”
“I’d say you must have spiked my drink, but I haven’t had anything yet. Let’s do this.”
She slides her hand into mine, and it’s ridiculous how much that lights me up inside.
The music amplifies, and the crowd cheers us on as we step forward. “Give me your purse.”
“I forgot I had it.” She hands it to me.
I wind the strap around the small purse. It’s too big for my pocket, so I drop it down the front of my shirt. “King,” I say with a wink, and take her hand again.
“Wait until Taylor hears about this.”
“Don’t tell him all my secrets.”
She studies the bar, which looks damn low. The height usually calls for tequila to loosen up. Her fingers tighten around mine.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got you,” I reassure her.
We face the bar, and when she gives me a nod and drops my hand, we shimmy back in unison. I could do this in my sleep, so I keep an eye on her, noting the clench of her jaw, the smooth line of her throat riddled with tension, and the arch of her back as she tries to balance.
The crowd claps louder as we inch under the bar.
We’re about halfway through when Eleanor’s balance falters, and there’s a collective gasp around us.
My arm shoots beneath her back, holding her up, and the crowd roars with excitement.
Eleanor’s eyes find mine, wide with shock and disbelief.
That’s right, gorgeous. I’ve got you. I hold her gaze, and her back, as we sneak beneath the bar and clear it.
As we spring to our feet, the crowd erupts with excitement.
“We did it!” Eleanor shouts, and throws her arms around me.
I spin her around and say, “Told you,” against her temple, enjoying her elation. I keep her close as I set her on her feet. She gazes up at me, breathless and beautiful, and God help me, I don’t want to let her go.
Taylor
My heart is racing. That was so fun. I can’t believe Seth got me to do it.
I don’t know what shocks me more, that we actually made it under the bar without breaking our necks, or how natural and incredibly good it feels to be in Seth’s arms. I know he feels safe because I’ve technically known him for years, but there’s nothing safe about the way being close to him makes my entire body tingle and burn.
I feel high, and I haven’t had a single drink.
For one crazy second, I imagine staying right here in his arms, our bodies pressed together, those blue eyes drilling into me like he likes this too, while the rest of the partygoers keep cheering us on.
But then the music shifts, and he releases me.
He whips my purse out of his shirt and loops the strap across his body.
Taking my hand again, he tugs me out of the circle with a sexy grin that does nothing to calm my pulse, and my excitement bubbles out.
“I can’t believe you were able to limbo while holding me up! ”
“You doubted the limbo king?” he asks like he’s appalled.
“No, but I didn’t expect you to go all Superman on me and save the day.”
He squeezes my hand. “I had to defend my title, which, by the way, makes you my reigning queen.”
I bump him with my shoulder as if I’m not loving the sound of that. “Says the man who probably has a harem of queens.”
“Truth?” He lifts his chin as we head for the buffet line. “I’ve never met a woman who held my attention better than a deadline, much less many women.”
“Well, that’s a shame,” I say, and realize I mean it. I know how lonely life is without someone special in it, and he’s too great a guy to live like that. It’s not like he has a family member he has to watch over.
“I don’t know about that. Work is a loyal mistress. She keeps my mind sharp and keeps me out of trouble.” He brushes his thumb over the back of my hand, holding my gaze. “Besides, if I had a harem, I might’ve missed meeting you.”
Either the honesty in his eyes is genuine, or he’s honed his delivery of the best lines on the planet to perfection.
But from all of our communications, I know one thing for certain.
Seth Braden is nothing if not honest, and that has my heart stumbling as we step into the buffet line.
The buffet tables, which are heaped with food, are a good distraction from the heat between me and the man who pays my salary.
Seth hands me a plate and lowers his voice like we are coconspirators. “You load up on shrimp and veggies. I’ll stockpile lobster and meat, and we’ll share.”
I arch a brow, trying to cover the fact that my sister and I used to do the same thing. Sometimes we still do. “What if I don’t like to share?”
He presses his hand to my lower back, his thumb brushing over my skin and his eyes gleaming with a tantalizing mix of heat and playfulness. “Then I’ll have to make it worth your while.”
Heat curls low in my belly. “You have all the answers, don’t you?”
“As a matter of fact, I usually do, so you might as well get used to it. We’re going to be spending a lot of time together this weekend.”
I shoot him a look that I hope masks how much I like the sound of that. “Is that so?”
“You said you don’t get out much. I’m going to fix that.”
“Fixing me already?” I tease. “Should I be taking notes on all the ways you plan to improve my life?”
“Only the fun ones.” His gaze flicks over me, heated but amused, and suddenly the night feels a lot warmer.
The line moves forward, but I’m still caught somewhere between exhilaration and awareness that this man could unravel me in a heartbeat.
As we make our way through the buffet, stockpiling seafood, various meats, and several delicious-looking sides, Seth tosses me conspiratorial nods.
Several of the staff greet him with warm familiarity.
He introduces each person to me by name and asks after some of their parents and children.
When we step away from the buffet, his hand lands on the small of my back again, the heat of his palm keeping me in a state of heightened anticipation.
I’m glad for the breeze coming off the water as he leads me toward the bar.
I glance around us, looking for an empty table, when Seth’s hand slides around my waist, and he pulls me closer. “Best seats are down by the water. Unless you’d prefer not to sit in the sand.”
Relief washes through me. “Actually, I’d rather sit by the water.”
“Great. A night like this calls for a little indulgence. Do you like champagne?”
Wow, do I ever. Not that I have it often. “I do.”
“Indulgence it is.” He gives my waist a squeeze as we step up to the bar.
“Seth, I tought that was you at the buffet,” the bartender, a middle-aged man with a hint of gray and an island lilt to his voice, says. “But then I noticed your beautiful lady friend and tought I must’ve been mistaken.” He flashes a teasing smile.
Seth and I laugh.
“Good to see you’re still causing trouble, Javon.” Seth sets his plate on the bar to shake his friend’s hand, and when Javon takes it, they both lean into a one-armed embrace over the bar.
I can tell this man is important to Seth. I find myself gathering these little hints about the man behind the emails like breadcrumbs, tucking them away to piece together later.
“Javon, this is Eleanor.” Seth’s hand meets my back again, like it belongs there, as he looks at me and says, “Watch out for this guy, El. He’s trouble waiting to happen.”
I love the way he calls me El and Ellie. “Sounds like someone else I know,” I say pointedly, earning another waist squeeze. I stifle my surprise and smile at Javon. “Pleasure to meet you.”
“You as well. What can I get you tonight?”
“Think you can rustle up a bottle of Veuve Clicquot?” Seth asks.
“Anything for you, my friend,” Javon says. “I’ll have it brought to your table.”
“Actually, we’ll be down by the water,” Seth says.
“Even betta,” Javon says.
“Thank you,” Seth and I say in unison.
“Don’t you have to pay?” I ask as we head down the beach toward the water.
“I called ahead to let them know we’d be at the barbecue. They’ve got my card on file.”
“Oh, that was smart. Shoot. We forgot napkins and silverware.”
“They’re in my pocket,” he says. “I told you I’ve got you.”
Another breadcrumb, which matches what I know about him. Seth is the type of businessman who moves the second something catches his eye or an idea hits. See it, do it, done. That’s why my inbox fills at three a.m. “A man who’s prepared and indulgent? I might never leave.”
“Now, that sounds better than any deadline.”
His words burrow deep inside me, stroking the internal flames that have been brewing for years. The way he’s looking at me, with as much desire as challenge, feels like a dare.
A dare I want to take.
Down girl. He’s your client.
I realize I’ve been out of this game for so long, I could be misreading everything. That is enough to slow me down.
We find a spot by the water, and as I sit down, Seth empties his pockets, handing me a stack of napkins and silverware.
He sits beside me, leaving space for only the plates between us.
We’re far enough from the mayhem and music for it to fade into the background, allowing the sounds of the ocean to take the forefront.
But the brisk breeze I was hoping for is offset by the intimate feel of our private dinner.
“You know so many people. You must come here a lot.” I keep his schedule and know he doesn’t come to the island more than two or three times a year, which is why I’m curious about what seem like deep friendships with the people here.
“I don’t get here that often, but most of the men and women who work here are locals who grew up coming to events like these with their parents and grandparents.
I’ve known some of them since I was a kid, when I came here with my family for one of my mother’s assignments on bird migration.
She’s a wildlife biologist and photographer. ”
“I know.” The second I say it, I realize my mistake.
He might not know I’m Taylor, but I don’t want him to think he would ever breach his confidence, so I quickly explain.
“Taylor was saying how great you are to work with a few years ago, and I’m nosy, so I read up on your very accomplished family. ”
“First of all, Taylor lied.” He smiles. “I’m a pain in his ass, and I know it. But he’s a good man for putting up with me. And second of all, I like a woman who knows how to research.”
And I like a man who appreciates my talents.
“Did your mom take the picture of the birds in your living room?”
“Yeah. As a matter of fact, she took it here on the island many years ago.”
“It’s beautiful.”
He flashes a flirty smile. “So are you.” He cuts a piece of lobster tail and holds out his fork for me to eat it. His sexy grin makes my stomach flip. “The first bite goes to my limbo queen.”
“How generous of you.”
As I lean in to eat it off the fork, he says, “A lady should always come first.”
I stop short, a laugh bubbling out. “Mr. Braden, are you flirting with me?”
“That depends,” he says seductively. “Do you want me to be?”
My heart thunders. I should stop this in its tracks and say no, but not an ounce of me wants to do that. Where’s the harm in enjoying myself with a man I’ve been thinking about for years? Come Tuesday, I’ll go back to my secret assistantship, and he’ll go back to his busy life, none the wiser.
“Let’s just say, I’m not going to stop you.” As I close my lips around the sumptuous lobster he’s offering, heat ignites in his eyes, fueling my resolve to enjoy this weekend.